Officials say Wilson County Deputy Sheriff John Patrick Edwards, 38, tried to sell information about a drug-trafficking investigation for $100,000 in April.
Jerry E. Martin, United States attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee said Edwards was arrested Monday night and charged with attempting to obstruct a federal criminal investigation.
Edwards is accused of creating a plan to sell information relating to a federal drug-trafficking investigation, according to authorities.
“The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will always take aggressive action to uncover wrongdoing by the very people entrusted with protecting our communities,” said U. S. Attorney Jerry Martin in a news release Tuesday. “We will continue to vigorously pursue those whose malicious actions tarnish the professional reputation and efforts of hardworking and honorable police officers.”
According to the affidavit submitted to support the arrest warrant of Edwards and others, Edwards contacted a person he knew that was in contact with a target of the drug investigation and offered to sell information about the investigation, for $100,000.
Later, Edwards is accused of accepting $15,000 cash as a partial payment for giving that person information about the investigation, officials said.
This incident is still under investigation.
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